The Baltic countries disappointed at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest. None of Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia qualified for the Grand Final. Last time this thing happened was in Copenhagen 2014. This year it looks that al least one Baltic country will be in the Grand Final of the contest, as Elina Nechayeva’s “La Fortza” is between the big favorites of winning the contest. Good chances are also for Latvia’s Laura Rizzotto, while Lithuania could be the dark-horse of the competition. Estonia and Lithuania were drawn to perform in the 1st semi-final while Latvia will be singing in the 2nd semi-final.

Estonia will bring the world of "belcanto" in Lisbon. The song is pure magic and the staging is spectacular; but, it is also true that, when proposing a lyrical theme for the festival, this also entails a risk; about it, remember the case of France that started as one of the favorites in the 2011 edition with the lyrical piece "Sognu" sung by Amaury Vassilli and ended in a disappointing fifteenth place. Elina Nechayeva needs to be carefull and – even more than other artists – needs to focus on the performances that matter most. And it is very likely that, even though her vocal skills are awesome, the televote will reward her more than the jury vote. Given how Eurovision tends to reward stellar vocals, might it be prudent to view La Forza as this year’s “Suus”? Neither are particularly commercial songs, but both boast incredible vocals. That ability to create a moment is crucial at Eurovision, as is creating a visually effective staging concept.

It is the song " When We're Old " that Ieva Zasimauskaitė will have to defend the colors of Lithuania. A true hymn to love, a love she dreams to see live forever. This love arises as a force that can overcome all our fears, all our doubts and break down borders. The title is signed by Vytautas Bikus , Lithuanian author, composer and producer. He is already known to fans of Eurovision, having written the title "This Times" starring Vaidas Baumila and Monika Linkytė for Lithuania in 2015. The title was then ranked 18th in the grand final. For now, the bookmakers are classifying "When We're Old" 25th.“When We’re Old“ didn't only resonate with the Lithuanian public, but also has a lot of meaning to Ieva personally. Her message: Love can last forever, it is the most powerful thing in this universe and it can defeat all fears we may have.

Latvia will be represented in Lisbon by Laura Rizzotto. Her self-composed song is staged nicely. It’s a sultry tune that’s for sure, but sounds very much like some everybody already heard during his life. Dressed in red, with pulsating red lights behind her, her vocals are great, with lyrics such as “I’m falling apart / what can I do / to make you feel that way about me too?”. One YouTube comment says about Latvia’s entry that “it’s a bit Fifty Shades”. What starts off with a lot of promise runs out of steam by the final chorus. Many unbiased viewers will find the performance too dull, but this could be easily fixed by May. ‘Funny Girl’ is far better than last year’s psychedelic mess from Triana Park, and there’s a better atmosphere surrounding Laura’s song too.